KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday gave a last chance to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to file comments on a set of petitions seeking disqualification of Pakistan Peoples Party lawmaker Faryal Talpur and some former provincial ministers.

Four individuals, through their respective counsel, had moved separate petitions against Ms Talpur (a sister of PPP co-chairman and former president of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari), former provincial ministers Manzoor Wassan, Nasir Hussain Shah and Sohail Anwar Siyal contending that they held Iqama (work permits) of certain countries and did not disclose them in their nomination papers for the 2013 general elections.

This was tantamount to violation of Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution read with Sections 99 (I) (f) of the Representation of People Act, 1976, the petitioners said, and pleaded that they be declared disqualified from holding any public office.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar expressed its resentment over ECP’s act of not filing its comments on the matter as yet.

A law officer of the ECP sought more time for filing the comments, informing the bench that ECP was busy in conducting the presidential election.

Granting his request, the bench put off the matter till Sept 18.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2018